BigBallBellyGirl:
Has anyone with a supersized belly used an obesity belt to alleviate back pain? I'm not looking for a bariatric compression belt like the ones people use after bariatric surgery. I'm hoping to find something that takes the pressure off my lower back, hips, and upper belly. The largest maternity belt I found extended to 70 inches. I'm about 80 inches around standing, but I thought it still might work. It definitely didn't. When I tried to sit, the hook and eye closures broke immediately.

How do my fellow big-bellied super-sized folks relieve back pain and support those tummies?

Munchies:
Do I personally know anyone? No. But I've worked in health insurance. I am not sure if they make them in your size (90 inches sitting iirc) but I can look.

That said, it will be expensive. If you do have health insurance, check to see if they have a bariatric coverage.

As for the obesity belts themselves? Your milage may vary. Some people love theirs while others find them too uncomfortable to be worth it.

Jiggle Junkie:
Envision a small town (population 957) with only a few eating out options. Take a strong preference for fountain soft drinks over canned or bottled equivalents, plus a desire to get out/away from home and work to just go somewhere, even when there’s not much time to do so.

My Love goes to the local Dairy Queen typically once a day, often several times a day, at a minimum for a drink refill (in her brought-in reusable big cup). She and her siblings have worked at nearly every food establishment in town, and in her opinion DQ has the best sodas (she calls them. I call them soft drinks. She prefers Coca-Cola unless it’s late in the day and the caffeine might keep her awake). Indeed her younger sister years ago managed this DQ location.

She has the DQ app and is always scanning receipts to earn red spoon credits. Then we need to use those $5 (typically) credits before they expire, which often entails a meal, desserts, or both. Many a date evening/night we’ve spent there, talking for hours, with at least her eating and getting multiple beverage refills.

She’s in there so often that she’s become somewhat of a celebrity. We know most of the employees by name, greet them, check in with how they’re doing (when appropriate), etc. Most of them know and like/love her (and some really like me). They like her so much that the manager gave her a standing offer of a job there, should she choose to come work there. Also, they stopped charging her for refills. I’m guessing this is because refills aren’t much of a money maker for them, the

WeightAndSee:
So recently I found myself (accidentally!) regaining a bunch of the Quarantine-Fun-Time I had gained and then lost.

The thing is, I’m not yet back to my max weight but my belly feels quite substantial. I don’t remember this sensation even when I was much fatter. My guts just feel like heavy. And my belly feels really in the way. Has anyone else experienced different sensations when gaining weight at different times in their life?

Or maybe I just forgot what this was like and I’ll get used to it. Either way thought I’d ask and see if other people had thoughts.

MoreOfMe:
[quote]Sweetfattie:
I second the recommendation for high waisted dresses. Also look for full skirts, so your belly has plenty of room to expand. For those of us with non-standard body shapes, I highly recommend Love Your Peaches. They're pricey, but that's because everything is handmade to order in the US. Janelle, the owner, is an absolute sweetheart and will customize your clothes to fit you exactly if you email her with your measurements and clothing issues.

I have huge thighs and wide hips with a comparatively narrow waist and smaller lower belly than what most plus size pants and shorts are made for. So the legs are skin tight while there's loose fabric bunched around my belly and the waist is too big. Janelle took my measurements and made the best fitting shorts I've ever worn. She did the same with a dress for me, I'm a size bigger on the bottom than I am on top. I'm sure she can make you some cute and comfy dresses that fit your magnificent belly![/quote

Sounds like a good go to! I need expansion room without feeling tight!

BigBallBellyGirl:
The people who caution about aggressive stuffing and hard-core gaining are absolutely right. (Note, I said "caution about", not "caution against".) In an effort to gain back some lost weight and ultimately get to 450-500, I started super-stuffings constantly. I was gaining 10 pounds a week, easily, and never leaving any room in my stomach I didn't immediately fill. I loved the journey and the filled past the limit sensation, but about a month ago, I started to have weird neurological symptoms, like tingling, and skin numbness, as well as severe back and upper belly pain. I'm not abandoning my goal, by any means, but I decided to back off on the extreme stuffings for a while and let my body heal. But guess what? I find eating normal meals almost impossible. Yesterday, my partner and I went to a pub. He ordered a Philly cheesesteak and side salad. I ordered a double mushroom Swiss burger and tater tots, 1200 calories according to the menu. Based on nutritional standards, I had a very large meal, but my body didn't think so. I downed everything, but I didn't even feel like I had eaten at all. He gave me a fourth of his cheesesteak, but I still felt not just unsatisfied, but empty. I ended up getting queso with soft tortillas, adding another 1,800 calories. The fact is, I absolutely wanted more, but I stopped myself, because with beer, I had already exceeded 4,000 calories in a sitting. The fact is, had I been intentionally stuffing, I honestly could have easily had a fast food meal on the way home, but I refrained. The reality is, I think I also was averaging way more calories than I calculated when I was constantly stuffing. I usually documented around 15,000, but that number was likely well over 20,000. And last week, I put on 5 pounds while thinking I was eating conservatively. The appetite is a bizarre thing.

Munchies:
Sounds about right.

I appreciate you making the distinction you made when you said "caution about" versus "caution against."

Extreme weight gain and stuffing are very fun - but only in the short term.

That said, I wish you all the best. You've stretched your stomach out. It will shrink in time, but it will not be comfortable.

That said, there are some things you can do in the meantime. Some foods make you feel fuller for longer. Here's an article for example: myplenity.com/blog/10-foods-that-help-you-feel-fuller-longer

Remember, the goal isn't weight loss. It's just to help you suffer less while you wait for your stomach to recover. You probably won't lose any weight. If anything, you'll gain at a slower rate before eventually maintaining.